fairmont lakes foundation

After several years of canceled or postponed events 2022 has been a good year for the Fairmont Lakes Foundation.  I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of what has been going on.

In terms of Water Quality, we conducted sediment/soil samples in a couple of locations. Several of our members are water quality monitors and conduct water quality testing throughout the year. And the Nutrient Bioreactor on Dutch Creek is operational.

Our fishing tournaments received great reviews from the participants. Our winter ice fishing tournament was well attended, and we had excellent support from our sponsors. We had several donors step up and offer a large prize pool for the most yellow bass taken. Our spring fishing tournament was a little different this year, as we partnered with Fox Lake Conservation Club. It was great to see the event well attended, and the variety of fish caught. A big thanks to those that made the tournaments successful.  Jim Utermarck  took the lead for FLF on both the ice fishing tournament and the spring tournament. Jim Miller with Fox Lake Conservation Club spearheaded the spring tournament and did much of the heavy lifting. Justin Sommers and family really pitched in at the ice fishing tournament and were key to the success of the event!

Spring brought us the lake cleanup, which occurred on Budd Lake this year. We had at least 40 volunteers helped out, and the event was very successful. I continue to be amazed at how much trash finds its way to our shoreline. Much of the trash collected consisted of old steel, broken lawn furniture and tires.  The support from all of the volunteers at the spring cleanup event is truly appreciated.

As we move into the second half of summer, FLF, Inc wants to increase our stewardship activities, and increase attention on our lakes. We have a core group that has supported us and have had great support from activity sponsors. But now we are looking for greater support from others that value our lakes and support our goals. While we have made valuable contributions, there is still much to be done. With that in mind, I am asking everyone in our community to consider lending a hand. The opportunities are broad and range from simply joining FLF to becoming a board Member.

For those of you that feel you don’t have the time to commit as a Board member, we have opportunities for you on committees. A list of some of the committees includes:

• Water Quality
• Shore protection and Vegetation
• Fish Stocking
• Lakes Cleanup
• Spring fishing
• Ice Fishing
• Signage/Boating (safety education)
• Conservation

If you are concerned about our lakes and support our mission, I encourage you to attend one of our monthly meetings, click on one of the membership buttons, or ask one of our Board members for additional information. We look forward to having you help out!

– Jon Omvig, Board Chairman